1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to combustion gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to optical sensors mounted on combustor baskets of combustion gas turbine engines for analyzing the efficiency thereof. Specifically, the present invention relates to an adjustable mounting device that adjustably mounts an optical sensor on a combustor basket of a combustion gas turbine engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known in the relevant art, combustion gas turbine engines typically include a compressor region, a combustor region and a turbine region. Air is drawn into the engine and is compressed in the compressor region of the engine and delivered to the combustor region. The combustor region includes a pressurized plenum within which are disposed a plurality of combustor baskets, with each combustor basket being formed with a plurality of air inlet holes. The pressurized air travels from the compressor region, into the pressurized plenum, and through the air inlet holes into the combustor baskets where the compressed air is mixed with fuel and combusted. The combustion gases flow through the combustor basket into the turbine region of the engine where the high velocity combustion gases rotate one or more turbine stages that drive the compressor stages in the compressor region of the gas turbine engine.
To increase engine efficiency, it is preferred to closely monitor and control the combustion of the fuel/air mixture within the combustor baskets to achieve the highest and most advantageous combustion and energy from a given quantity of fuel. An optical sensor is mounted on the exterior of a combustor basket and is oriented to observe the combustion occurring within the combustor basket, with the signal from the optical sensor being delivered to appropriate analytical equipment for interpretation of the signal. While such optical sensor systems have been effective for their intended purposes, such optical sensor systems have not, however, been without limitation.
Such optical sensors are effective only if properly aimed at the combustion occurring within a specific downstream region of the combustor basket. Misalignment of the optical sensor can cause unintended signals to be received by the optical sensor, which can result in incorrect control and inefficient operation of the gas turbine engine. As such, it is preferred that the optical sensor be mounted on an adjustable fitting that permits the optical sensor to be positioned such that it is oriented toward a desired location within the combustor basket and is retained in such position during operation of the engine.
Proper alignment of an optical sensor is difficult to achieve inasmuch as the sensor must be positioned at a time when the engine is shut down. As such, it is necessary to understand the specific location in which the optical sensor is intended to point and to accurately orient the optical sensor in an appropriate orientation. It is thus preferred to provide a method for determining the specific orientation and observation point of the optical sensor when the engine is shut down.
Moreover, adjustable mounting devices that have been employed to mount such optical sensors have met with only limited success. Such mounting devices typically include a clamping system that limits the movement of an optical sensor once the optical sensor has been aligned in a given position. Such known clamping systems have, however, invariably at least nominally repositioned the optical sensors whenever a retention force is applied to the optical sensor. Such undesired repositioning results in misalignment of the optical sensor from the desired objective, which thus results in spurious optical signals that prevent proper analysis and control of the gas turbine engine. It is thus desired to provide a mounting device for an optical sensor that does not reposition the optical sensor during fixing of the optical sensor in a given position.
In view of the foregoing, a mounting device for mounting an optical sensor to a combustor basket of a combustion gas turbine engine includes a base, an alignment member, and a clamp. The base is mounted over an access hole formed in the combustor basket and is formed with a spherical socket. The alignment member carries the optical sensor and includes a ball that is adjustably received in the socket. During alignment of the alignment member, a directed beam of light such as a laser is applied to the flexible fiber-optic sensor mounted on the adjustable mounting device that ordinarily would be connected with the analytical equipment, whereby the laser emits a laser beam which is directed out of the optical sensor and into the combustor basket. The laser beam shining out of the optical sensor permits the alignment member and the optical sensor to be properly aligned.
The clamp selectively applies a non-rotational clamping force to the ball of the alignment member to clamp the alignment member in a given orientation with respect to the base. The clamp advantageously includes a tab formed with a compression ledge having at least a first protrusion that selectively and compressively engages the ball to non-movably retain the alignment member in a desired orientation with respect to the base. The tab includes an elongated clamping opening along which the compression ledge is formed, and further includes an elongated fastener opening that at least partially receives a threaded bolt therein. The tab is also formed with a pair of prongs that are movably received in a slot formed in the base. The elongated fastener and clamping openings, as well as the movable relationship of the prongs within the slot permit the tab and thus the alignment member and the optical sensor to be adjusted, yet permit the alignment member to be non-movably retained in a given orientation once the given orientation has been achieved.
In view of the foregoing, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a mounting device for adjustably retaining an optical sensor on a combustor basket of a gas turbine engine, the general nature of which can be stated as including a base structured to be mounted on the combustor basket, the base being formed with a socket, an alignment member formed with a ball, the ball being adjustably received in the socket, the alignment member being structured to carry the optical sensor, and a clamp mounted on the base, the clamp being structured to apply a non-rotational clamping force to the alignment member to clamp the alignment member in a given orientation with respect to the base.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of adjustably retaining an optical sensor on a combustor basket of a gas turbine engine, the general nature of which can be stated as including the steps of placing the optical sensor in an alignment member having a ball, positioning the alignment member in a given orientation with respect to a base, the base being disposed on the combustor basket and having a socket for receiving the ball of the alignment member, and applying a non-rotational clamping force to the alignment member.
Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of aligning an optical sensor mounted on a combustor basket of a gas turbine engine, the general nature of which can be stated as including the steps of operatively connecting a light source to the optical sensor, generating a beam of light with the light source, projecting the beam of light out of the optical sensor, and positioning the optical sensor such that the beam of light is directed in a given orientation.
Again still another aspect of the present invention is to provide a turbine engine, the general nature of which can be stated as including a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section, the combustor section including at least a first combustor basket, a base structured to be mounted on the combustor basket, the base being formed with a socket, an alignment member formed with a ball, the ball being adjustably received in the socket, an optical sensor mounted on the alignment member, and a clamp mounted on the base, the clamp being structured to apply a non-rotational clamping force to the alignment member to clamp the alignment member in a given orientation with respect to the base.